Here and There, Now and Then
by Patience Halliwell
Summary: Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye has never talked about her past, nor does she wish to. But when Ed and Al arrest a thief that is related to Hawkeye, overwhelming issues and past events are bond to rear their ugly heads.
1. Chasing Lightning

Hey, everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I had any new stories or that I haven't updated my stories in awhile. This is my second Full Metal Alchemist story. I was thinking about this one night while I was trying to fall asleep after watching the show. Not much is known about Ms. Riza Hawkeye, except that she is a strict, aggressive, dead-eye lady. Even though she takes no crap from Mustang and is sometimes quit to judge him, she is still loyal to him and would do anything to keep him out of harm's way. That would make them a possible pairing in this or any story. But enough about that. Let's get to the summary so you know what the story is going to be about.

**Summary:** Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye has never talked about her past, nor does she wish to. But when Ed and Al arrest a thief that is related to Hawkeye, overwhelming issues and past events are bond to rear their ugly heads.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything that has the Full Metal Alchemist mark. Aniplex and Funimation own Full Metal Alchemist. Perhaps someday will own some type of anime.

**Claimer:** I do own Rin, the character I made up for this story, some other characters I will make up in this story, and the music that I am listening to right now. I also own a cute little kitten that looks like a Dairy Cow. But who cares?

"Dialogue"

_Thought_

And now, I give you my second Full Metal Alchemist story, _Here and There, Now and Then_, and yes, that is the reverse name of another show. I thought it would sound better this way and it would make a good title. So, now,I give you the first chapter of _Here and There, Now and Then_.

**Chasing Lightning**

**Eastern Command Center**

"STOP, THEIF!" the soldiers yelled as they chased the hooded figure down the street in the pouring rain. They tried shooting at the thief but seemed to miss every time. They finally chased their prey into an alley. "Good. That scoundrel can't get away now. That alley is a dead end." Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning. When they turned the corner, the criminal was gone. "But that's impossible! There is no way to get out of here!" The hooded figure watched the soldiers search the alley from the rooftops. In another flash of lightning, the thief disappeared into the storm.

_

* * *

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first __law of equivalent exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth. ---Alphonse Elric_st 

"I can't believe we didn't find anything. Mustang is going to be on my ass again." Ed was complaining about his latest search for the philosopher's stone. He and Alphonse were returning to the Eastern Headquarters to report to Colonel Roy Mustang, and they weren't too happy about it.

"Maybe he'll understand, brother," Al said.

"Sure, Al." Ed quickly deepened his voice to imitate Mustang. "So, you wasted all that time looking for the stone and you couldn't even find so much as a pebble. Maybe if you wouldn't charge into things so fast, that rust-bucket arm wouldn't always fall apart on you. Wait a minute. Where did you go? Oh, there you are. I couldn't see you below my three-foot desk. Ha ha ha!"

"With all that you said," Al commented, "Mustang doesn't have to beat you down. You did his job for him."

"Shut up, Al. Why does everyone have to pick on me?"

* * *

"Well, Ed, it looks like you've come back empty handed again." Ed was now in Mustang's office giving him a report on their past mission. Ed knew he was in for it this time. Before he was able to at least uncover some good leads, but this time he had nothing. He braced himself for the beat down that Mustang would give him. "Since you're back at Eastern Command, I have a new assignment for you." Lieutenant Hawkeye handed Ed a file and stepped back as Ed read it.

"What's this about? Who's Ray?"

"We aren't exactly sure, Ed," Mustang answered. "All we know is that he is an A Class thief that has been stealing priceless items and money from the Eastern Command Center Treasury for the past month. Each time he steal's something, he always destroys some part of the building. He's costing us a lot of money."

"There isn't much description on him. He wears a maroon hooded cloak and never shows his face." Ed was kind of relieved. _I've been back for this long and he hasn't cracked any short jokes yet. Is there something wrong with him?_

"All of our men that have gone after Ray say that he is a little taller than the Short Metal Alchemist." Ed started steaming at this point but held himself back.

"So what do you want me to do? Does he have any information on the philosopher's stone? I'll gladly interrogate him."

"That's the problem, Ed. No one has been able to capture him. Even in impossible situations, this Ray always slips through our grasp. We need you to find him and bring him in alive. There should be a list of sightings in that file. I know you won't disappoint me." Ed nodded and turned around, but not before he caught a glimpse of Hawkeye. She looked a lot paler than usual and she seemed to be tired.

"Hey, Hawkeye. Are you ok? You look a little worn down."

"I'm fine. Sir, would you excuse me?" She quickly saluted them both and ran out of the room. Ed looked back at Mustang for an explanation.

"Don't mind her. She's had a hard month. Her parents were missing for five years. They showed up month ago hanging from a rafter in an old warehouse. She was the one that found them after being assigned to other connected suicide cases."

"I'm sorry about that," Ed said. "I hope she finds peace. Excuse me, Colonel." Ed quickly saluted and walked out of the building. He saw Al sitting on the outside steps waiting for him. "I guess we won't have much of a break, Al. We got a new case."

* * *

Ed and Al went to the place that Ray was seen last. As they looked around, they discovered that there was no way to get out of the dead end. Then they found something bizarre.

"Ed, this part of the wall sounds hallow." Ed knocked on the spot that Al pointed out.

"This wall is supposed to be completely solid." Ed quickly clapped his hands and pressed them against the wall. When the transmutation was complete, a hidden staircase was revealed. "Al, we aren't just dealing with an amateur. The person we are hunting is using alchemy for selfish ways. I have to track this person down. Let's go to the treasury. We're going to have a stakeout."

* * *

Ed and Al waited in a room with Hawkeye. Hawkeye was assigned to surveillance with the boys, but Ed was still worried.

"You sure you're up to this, Hawkeye?" Ed asked. "You still look…"

"I'm fine. I'm ready for anything that comes through that door." Hawkeye grabbed her handgun and cocked it. Ed just sighed and decided it wouldn't work.

"We should be alright," Al said. "There are about thirty men guarding this place. Security is pretty tight. If Ray comes in here, he'll have a hard time getting away." Suddenly, there were screams coming from outside. The three ran to the window to see what happened. All the men were unconscious. The front doors were open. Hawkeye, Ed, and Al went to the stairway, ready for the thief.

"Why isn't he coming up?" Hawkeye said. "This is the only way to get to the vault." Then Ed had a brainstorm.

"Wait a minute. He can use alchemy, right?"

"Yeah, Ed. Why do you ask?" Al asked.

"If he can use alchemy, then he doesn't need stairs. He can…" There was a huge explosion and they all flew back against the wall as the vault door swung open. Money flew around the hooded figure as he stuffed a bag of red diamonds in his cloak. "He can come up through the floor." As he turned around, his red eyes flashed through a black bandana-mask.

Hawkeye saw her opportunity and shot at him, getting him in the shoulder as he ran towards them. He stared right at Hawkeye before shutting the vault. Ed quickly got up and tried to open it. He heard a noise from inside as he blew a hole in the vault. When he and Al got through it, they ran up the stairway that the thief created, leaving Hawkeye behind to think. _Why did he hesitate? He could have killed us all. Instead he looked at us and ran away._

The thief ran across the rooftops, clutching his bleeding shoulder. He finally jumped into a courtyard. When he landed, he found Ed and Al staring at him.

"You're pretty good," Ed said. "You avoided the law for so long, but I hate those who use alchemy for evil. I'm going to take you down." Ed clapped his hands and transformed his metal arm into a blade. Just as he charged at him, the thief pounded his fists together and shot lightning at Ed, just barely missing him. "You…don't need a circle."

"That's not all, Ed," Al said with a hint of caution. "He uses lightning and static electricity. Be careful."

"Great," Ed said. "He's just like Mustang." They continued to fight. Ed dodged the bolts of lightning except for once. Ed hadn't fought anyone this strong since Mustang. He was getting tired. "Well, Ray, I have to hand it to you. You're pretty strong." Just as Ed made another move, Ray fired a powerful bolt of lightning, but it missed Ed and hit a wall. The wall started to fall and would crush Ed. That was when Ray did something that completely shocked Ed and Al. He ran towards Ed and pushed him out of the way, but that wasn't that surprised them. Just before he pushed Ed to safety, Ray yelled something.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Ray yelled. When the smoked cleared, Hawkeye came running behind them.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"I think we caught Ray," Al said. "But when he yelled, it sounded like a…Wait! He's stuck under the rubble!" All three of them started digging until Ed uncovered a hand and pulled Ray out. When he did, Ray looked pretty beat up, but the thief was still breathing. That was when Ed decided to pull off the hood and mask. He was shocked when he did. The culprit's long blonde hair was pulled into two ponytails at the nape of Ray's neck. But that didn't surprise Ed. It was the fact that…

"Ray is a girl?" Ed asked. Hawkeye and Al were in shock as well. They couldn't believe that the infamous thief was a she rather than a he, but that didn't matter.

"We need to get her to the hospital quickly," Hawkeye said. "She's losing a lot of blood, and she could have internal bleeding." Hawkeye carefully picked Ray up and carried her to the car. After Ed and Al got in, they drove to the State Hospital as fast as they could.


	2. Confessions

**Confessions**

Ed had just given his report to Colonel Mustang. When Mustang finished, he smiled back at Ed in pleasure. "Well, Full Metal, it looks like you did a good job. We caught the crook and we can finally rest." He opened the file and read Rai's record. "Rai, actually spelt R-a-i, not R-a-y. Age is fifteen. Blonde hair, Caucasian, red eyes, five foot five, looks like she is taller than you. She has stolen over ten thousand dollars in State Treasures and Funds over the past month. It appears that she's a very skilled alchemist. She doesn't even need a transmutation circle, just like you. All she has to do is pound her fists together and, BOOM, instant lightning at her hands."

"She's pretty powerful," Ed remarked. "The only thing is why she was stealing from us. I want to interrogate her."

"Someone already beat you to it, Ed. We have her over in prison two. Major Connell is questioning her as we speak." That was when Ed got angry.

"Are you insane? She was nearly buried alive and you have her in a prison already? She should be in a hospital!"

"I assure you that she is alive and kicking. She tried to punch out Major Armstrong. She almost had him, too. It took all his strength to strap her down in the truck. If you want, you can go visit her. Hawkeye is going over there if you want a ride." Ed tried to calm down as he walked to Hawkeye's car. He didn't even tell Al where he was going. Al looked at him with a worried look. "Don't worry, Al." Al turned around to see Mustang standing at his side. "Ed will be alright. They have a good hold on the girl." Al nodded as he watched his brother drive off.

* * *

Ed got out of the car at the prison. He asked Hawkeye where Rai was, but she just signaled him to follow her. Ed had a strange feeling about Hawkeye, like she wasn't telling him something. Today, she looked even paler than before. _Could this Rai be the murderer of her parents?_ He thought.

When they got to the room, they saw that Connell had given up. "She's a brick wall," he said to Ed. "She's not talking at all. I wish we could go back to the days of torturing. Then we could get everything we want out of her." Ed shrugged at him and opened the door. Rai was sitting in a chair with her hands handcuffed behind it. She was wearing green slacks and a white shirt with a maroon vest that matched her hooded cloak. She gave them a confident smile as they walked towards her. Ed was the first to talk.

"Listen, Rai. I have some questions to ask you and I want a good answer. Do you know anything about the philosopher's stone?" Rai didn't say anything. She just stared at Ed with those red eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be an Ishbalan, would you?"

"Phh, yeah right. Ishbalans don't have blonde hair. I thought you would have figured it out by now. You know, red eyes?" Ed was completely confused. What was she talking about?

"Edward, would you step out for a couple minutes?" Ed turned to Hawkeye. "I have a feeling I can make her talk."

"Alright." Ed left the room and watched through the two-way mirror. He wouldn't leave Hawkeye by herself. Then Hawkeye said something that surprised him.

"If I take off your cuffs, do you promise to be good?" Rai stared at her, but this time her eyes were filled with anger. She nodded and Hawkeye unlocked her handcuffs. As Rai massaged her wrists, Hawkeye pulled up a chair next to her. "I didn't think I would see you again…little sister." Ed was shocked. _Did she just say sister? _He could see it though. The blonde hair, their facial features, their stubbornness, but what gave it away was their identical eyes. Unfortunately, Rai wasn't as happy to see her sister as Hawkeye was. She slapped Riza across the face when she said little sister.

"Don't you ever say that," Rai said in anger. "You lost that right when you left us."

"Rai, I had to go. I needed to leave so I could protect our country."

"Don't give me that bullshit! Everyone says they go to war so they can protect their country. Well, what about mom and dad, Riza? What about me? Mom and dad felt that they had to go to war so they could save people. They went to be doctors, but they never came back. They were reported missing five years ago. I had no one to protect me. I had to protect myself. I had to fend for myself. I was only ten, Riza." Riza was speechless. She didn't know what to say to her younger sister. "I've been wondering around the country looking for you, mom, and dad. I had no one except myself." Riza sighed and tried to hug Rai, but the fifteen year old just pushed her away.

"I'm so sorry, Rai," Riza finally said. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." Rai winced in pain and fell to the ground. Riza ran to her and knelt down. She noticed that Rai had a new wound on her side.

"It's a little late for that. That interrogator thought he could get more info out me by beating me some more." Riza sighed again and looked at the two-way mirror. Ed knew what she wanted. He turned away and walked to the main office.

* * *

The phone rang in Mustang's office and he quickly picked it up. "Mustang. Hello, Edward. What do you need? What? You want me to transfer Rai's custody to Hawkeye? Why would I make her take care of a criminal?" Mustang's eyes widened when he heard the whole story. "Alright, I'll send the papers over with Armstrong as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Mustang," Ed said as he hung up the phone. Hawkeye spent a half-hour with Rai. When Armstrong handed the papers to the warden, Hawkeye took Rai home with her. Ed made sure that they had gotten home safely. After Hawkeye got Rai into bed, she went to talk to Ed.

"I'm sorry, Ed. I should have told you earlier. I had no idea that she was still alive. I thought that some maniac killed her in the war. She's been missing for five years."

"Right after your parents went missing." Hawkeye twitched when Ed mentioned her parents. She didn't want to talk about, so Ed left it alone. "She's lucky to have someone to take care of her. She must really love you." Hawkeye smiled as she felt the cheek that Rai slapped.

"Yeah, right. Was the window you were looking through dirty or weren't you paying attention? She must hate my guts, but she's always acted like that. She's always tried to be strong." Ed looked at the tired lieutenant. He wanted to know the whole story, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her. Luckily, he didn't have to. "It must have been so hard for her to find a way to live at that age. I blame myself for the way she has turned out. I was supposed to take care of her. I went back home two months after my parents disappeared. I should have gone right away, because Rai was already gone. I couldn't stand myself. I felt like I was falling apart. I took it so hard. I lost everything dear to me. I wanted all the pain to go away. I told myself that I didn't deserve to live.

"I never told anyone this, Ed, but I tried to commit suicide once, after I found out that Rai was gone. I had the noose around my neck. I even tipped the chair over. I felt the rope squeezing the life out of me. I would finally pay for my sin, my sin of leaving my sister all alone. As I was blacking out, I heard a gunshot and I fell to the ground. When I woke up, I saw Roy holding me. He saved me and told me I should go on with life. He said that people make mistakes, but they have to forgive themselves. He knew that more than anyone.

"I hoped that I would find my family soon. I'm just glad that Rai is alive. She's pretty mature for her age. She was actually five years ahead in her studies. She wanted to be a lawyer more than anything. But now that she has a criminal record, I doubt anyone will teach her. One thing is for certain. I won't let anyone hurt her ever again. I lost her once. I won't make the same mistake again. I will always protect her." Ed smiled at her. He thought that Riza Hawkeye was a heartless dog of the state. She was more than that. She loved her sister dearly, and she wouldn't let her go.

After Ed left, Hawkeye walked to Rai's bedside and changed all of her bandages. She would take care of her. _Rai would never be alone again,_ she promised herself. Hawkeye spent the whole night at her sister's bedside, smiling at Rai, and hoping that for once in her life that she was sleeping soundly.


	3. Death or a Living Hell

**Death or a Living Hell**

It had been a week since Ed and Al had captured Rai. It was amazing how fast she had healed from her wounds. She still was under house arrest at Riza's house. She couldn't stand to be locked up for so long. She knew it was better than being locked up in prison. Riza knew that Rai could escape her house at anytime. Rai made a promise to her elder sister that she would stay where she was for the time being. At least she kept her word.

Today, Mustang, Ed, and Riza were summoned to Fuhrer Bradley's office to discuss Rai's fate. Ed looked back at Riza as they walked to the Fuhrer's office. She looked like she had regained her color in her face, but she looked so uneasy. Ed really couldn't blame her. If Al was being tried for a crime, he would be nervous too. When they reached Bradley's office, all three saluted them and gave him full attention. Ed noticed that Major Connell was also there.

"Please sit down. Make yourselves comfortable." The three did as he said and sat down. "As you know, we have captured the thief, Rai. She has stolen a great sum of State Treasury which hasn't been located yet. I've chosen you four to help me make a decision about her. I still can't decide what punishment to give her."

"I think we should give her life in prison," Connell said. At that sentence, Riza's knuckles tightened. Even though she had white gloves on, Ed could tell that they were turning white. "She is obviously a danger to society and should be kept locked up."

"This is true," Bradley said. "Unfortunately, she is powerful enough to escape any prison we put her in. We can't lock her up." This fact made Connell smile.

"Then I suggest we dispose of her. Put her in front of a firing squad. She won't be any trouble after she's dead." That's when Riza stood up. Her teeth were gritted together so hard that Ed thought they were going to break under the pressure.

"You can't kill her," Riza said. "She's just a kid." Mustang stopped her right there.

"I don't think killing anyone is the solution we are looking for," he stated.

"Then what do you suggest?" Bradley asked. Mustang was completely silent. He didn't want to see Riza hurt, but he couldn't think of anything to help her little sister. He knew what would happen if they killed Rai. Riza would go mad and try to hurt herself again, maybe even kill herself. That was when Ed stepped in.

"I have an idea. She's a powerful alchemist, right? Maybe we could use her. Make her a state alchemist." Everyone gasped at his suggestion. Bradley scowled at Ed and then smiled.

"Full Metal, it just might be crazy enough to work."

"You can't just make her a state alchemist," Connell yelled. "The test was two months ago. How are we going to hold her for another year?"

"We'll give her the test and then see if she passes the screening committee," Riza said.

"What about the demonstration?" Connell asked. He smiled because he knew that he had them there. Mustang had a suggestion.

"We will have a face-off. Full Metal vs. the girl. What do you think?"

"I agree," Bradley said. "Bring her in." A guard saluted and left. A couple minutes later, Rai was brought in with handcuffs on. She smiled at the Fuhrer when she saw him. "Hello, Rai. How are you today?"

"Much better," she said. "I only feel a little pain on my side." She immediately looked at Connell when she said this. He just straightened up. "Hey, you think you could take the cuffs off? I promise not to do anything stupid."

"Fuhrer," Connell said. "I must advise against this."

"Nonsense," Bradley said. "She said she would behave. Besides, if anything gets out of control, Flame and Full Metal can handle her." Rai chuckled as the guard removed her restraints. "Rai, I have a proposition for you. We have been sitting her trying to decide what to do with you. We came up with a couple of solutions, but one seems to stick out. We noticed that you have incredible skills in alchemy. That is why we want you to become a state alchemist." Rai's smiled quickly disappeared. "Of course, you would have to take a test and pass. You will also have to fight Full Metal. What do you say?" Rai definitely had something to say about this.

"You want me to become a dog of the state?" she asked coldly. "Do you know what you are asking? You want me to go to war to slaughter innocent people so you can have complete power. Be thou for the people. What a load of crap." Riza couldn't believe what Rai had just said. She had sealed her fate with those horrible words, even if they were truth. Rai saw the look on her sister's face. "What are my other options?"

"Well, either you join the state alchemists or we send you to the firing squad." Bradley's words were so harsh. Riza thought that Rai would rather die rather then become a state alchemist. She wouldn't become part of the same group that took her family away. Riza was surprised to her Rai's response.

"Death or a Living Hell. All right. I'll become a state alchemist. I have some requests though." Bradley didn't want to give her anything, but he knew that he needed her. He nodded and listened. "First, I want to stay close to Riza so I can keep her in line. Second, I don't want to fight Elric. I already know I can beat him. I want a challenge. How about I face the Flame Alchemist?" Riza was surprised when Rai pointed at Mustang. There was no way she could beat him. Bradley, however, disagreed.

"Alright. You can fight Mustang. If you win, you will be a state alchemist. If you lose, I will have you executed."

* * *

Yeah, that was a pretty long one. Hope you liked it. Next Chapter, Rai vs. Roy. Should be good. Cya. 


	4. The Perfect Score

**The Perfect Score**

Rai had been studying for the alchemy test for about a three week. She had spent all of her time locked in Riza's room of books. If she wasn't in the room, she was eating or sleeping. Most of the time she ate with a book at her side, and she always had a book in her hands when she fell asleep. Riza even caught her little sister with her nose in a book when she went to the bathroom. It started to bug Riza that Rai spent so much time reading. She guessed that Rai needed as much information as she could get.

On the morning of the test, Ed and Al were sent to Riza's house to escort Rai to the testing building. Ed thought it was senseless to send an escort. If Rai really wanted to, she could escape without breaking a sweat. He was sure of it, but he knew that Rai wouldn't dishonor her elder sister.

They finally reached the room where Rai was to take the test. It was in a small, secluded room with nothing but a desk for Rai to sit in. It also had two guards standing at the door along with Fuhrer Bradley and Colonel Mustang sitting at a table with Major Connell. Rai took one look at Connell then sat down to find a test and pencils in front of her. Bradley then stood up and addressed her.

"Thank you for coming, Ms. Hawkeye. You will have two hours to complete the test. I wish you the best of luck." He then sat down. Ed and Al were surprised at the look on Rai's face. She looked so serious and alert. She looked like she _wanted_ to become a state alchemist.

"Begin!" Mustang instructed. Rai picked up her pencil and opened her test. She quickly wrote answers down and hurried through the test like she was taking some grade school quiz. Ed and Al decided to wait outside with Riza until her little sister had finished the test. Ed looked over to Riza and once again she looked paler than a ghost. _Jeese, doesn't she ever have color in her face? _Ed thought. _Then again, her sister's life is on the line._

"Don't worry, Riza," Al said. "I'm sure Rai will do fine." And as if on cue, Rai came walking out the door. She had a weary look on her face that told them the test wasn't as easy as it looked. "So, how did you do, Rai?"

"I finished, but my hand is like spaghetti. I hope I can pass the interview part."

* * *

Major Connell handed Rai's test to the Fuhrer with a grin on his face. Mustang saw why after the Fuhrer read the test with disappointment. Bradley put it down and stared at Riza. "Well, it looks like she failed the exam."

"What?" Riza exclaimed. "That's impossible! She studied so hard for it."

"I'm sorry," Bradley explained, "but she didn't study hard enough. She missed the passing grade by two points. Major Connell," Connell showed attention to the Fuhrer. "Arrest Rai Hawkeye and take her to the prison hold. We will execute her tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," Connell said as he saluted.

"Hold on just one minute." Everyone turned to Mustang as he read through the test. "Some of the answers that are marked wrong are right. In fact, most of them are right."

"Let me have a look." Mustang handed the test to Bradley and let him look at it. The room was completely silent as Bradley checked the test. His eyes emerged above the paper after five minutes. "Well, if I'll be a monkey's uncle. They are right, every single one. It looks like we have our first perfect test in twenty years. Major Connell, cancel that order. Lieutenant Hawkeye, tell Rai that she has passed and then take her to the interview room." Riza saluted and left as Bradley turned to Connell. "Do you know who corrected this test?"

"No, sir. I will see to it that whoever did this is punished." Connell saluted and marched out of the room. That was when Mustang addressed Bradley.

"Do you think he had anything to do with this?"

"I'm not sure," Bradley said. "I want you to watch them both. I don't want any misconduct going on in the army." Mustang saluted and marched out with a smile.

* * *

Rai opened the door and walked towards Riza, Ed, and Al with a smile on her face. "I did it," she proclaimed. "I think I convinced them that I would make an excellent state alchemist."

"What about the chair?" Ed asked.

"Oh, the three-legged chair? Yeah, it was steady. I'm ready to kick that cocky Colonel's ass…Hey!" Riza gave Rai a swift smack on the head. "What the hell was that for?"

"Don't ever talk about Colonel Mustang that way," she said in a stern voice. "He could be your commanding officer."

"Maybe," Rai said with a sly voice. "Or is it possible that you love him?"

"What? I don't love him!" Riza denied.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you blushing so much?" Riza tried to hide her rosy cheeks from Rai's sight.

"I'm not blushing," she denied.

"Please, your face is redder then Ed's jacket. You do love him, don't you?" Rai insisted.

"Do not!" Riza continued.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Stop it you two," Ed finally separated the fighting sisters. "The important thing is Rai passed all the tests. All she has to do now is beat Mustang and she's home free."

"I won't be free," Rai said with dismal. "I'll be a dog of the state." Rai then turned around and started walking off. Al ran after her to make sure she wouldn't get in trouble.

"I wonder what her problem is," Ed asked.

"She'll be fine," Riza said. "Let's just hope she can handle Mustang.

* * *

I decided to save the big fight scene for next chapter. It would have made this chapter too long. Well, all I can say is keep reviewing and enjoy the story. I'll try to get out a chapter once a week if I can. Cya. 


	5. Flame vs Lightning

**Flame vs. Lightning**

Everyone gathered around the outdoor fighting arena. Fond memories came back to Ed as he looked over the renovated area. It had been almost a year since he had face Mustang in the same arena. Of course, they had made a complete mess out of it and were forced to clean it up. Ed knew that if Rai lived up to her reputation, there wouldn't be anything to pick up.

Mustang stepped into the arena, ready to face his opponent. Ed could tell that he was confident in himself, but today he seemed excited, as if he wanted to fight Rai. His smile grew larger when the guards brought Rai in to face him. They slowly removed her chains and then quickly ran out. Bradley stepped in and started to address the fighters.

"Now I want this to be a clean but exciting match. Try not to destroy the entire arena this time, Mustang. I will declare a winner at the obvious point." Bradley walked off the field and jumped over the wall as Mustang and Rai took their positions.

"Well, Mustang, you seem a little on edge," Rai remarked. "Are you afraid to lose to a teenager?" Mustang just laughed at her words.

"Actually, I'm excited because I want to see what you are made of. This battle is going to be interesting." Ed and Riza watched them both as the fighters prepared to fight. Ed looked towards Riza. Her eyes were full of fear and distress. This was probably the worst thing for Riza. Her little sister was fighting against the man she promised to protect. Ed decided to break the ice.

"Don't worry, Riza. They'll be fine. They can hold their own."

"That's not what I'm worried about," she commented. "As you can see, Roy clearly has the advantage. He has too much experience for Rai. Rai won't go down without a fight. She'll keep going until she can't move. Either way, this is going to be a destructive battle. Two storms are about to clash." Ed knew she was right. This battle would be too dangerous for spectators. They should have moved farther away, but it was too late to say anything. Bradley had given the word.

"FIGHT!" Rai pounded her fists together and lightning immediately started to form from her fists. However, she was to slow to the punch. Roy snapped his finger and a fire bomb hit where Rai was standing. Rai quickly dodged it and sent lightning straight at Roy, who dodged it as well. Roy noticed that Rai stopped to wait for the smoke to clear and he took his chance. He hit her with his flames and sent her flying backwards.

"You can't ever hesitate in battle," he said lightly. "If you do, your opponent will take the opening to destroy you." Rai quickly got up and started throwing lightning bolts at him again. He dodged each one and continued to through fire at her. She managed to dodge most of them, but one hit her in the shoulder and caused it to bleed. It wasn't too bad, but Rai knew that she could only hold him off for so long.

She started running around the arena, continuing to throw lightning at her opponents. She couldn't seem to hit him until finally she grazed his cheek. He wiped the blood from his face as she charged at him throwing punches. He tried to evade them, but she was so fast. She managed to hit him several times. Once she hit her fists together and then sent electricity through his body. He went flying back as she continued to bombard him with lightning bolts. She stopped after a few minutes and walked up to were he was.

"I hope there is something left for the doctors to operate on," she said as the smoke cleared. She gasped with the crowd. Roy had produced a shield of fire to block Rai's attack. Roy smiled and snapped his fingers again, sending a wave of fire at Rai and causing her to lose her balance. Roy continued to send fire at Rai. This time he managed to make most of his bombs hit her directly. He knew that he had this battle won, but Rai didn't.

She tried to stand again, but she fell to the ground. Roy started to walk up to her, ready to attack. "You were a fool to challenge me," Roy said. "You should have fought Full Metal. You would have at least had chance." Rai exploded in lightning bolts. All of her attacks missed Roy and landed around him, causing him to laugh. "You are too tired to even aim properly. Just give up so I don't have to hurt you anymore."

His eyes grew when he saw Rai drawing something on the cement with a piece of chalk. He finally realized it was a transmutation circle. She smiled and started her alchemy. Suddenly, the whole arena was lit up with lightning. Everyone saw what was causing the electricity. There was a giant transmutation circle carved into the arena.

"I see," Roy said. "You weren't trying to hit me at all. You were using your lightning to draw a transmutation circle. Is there a particular reason why?"

"Just wait," Rai said weakly. As the lightning went into the sky, storm clouds started to form above them. Without warning, it started to downpour on the entire State Army. That was when Rai made her attack. She pounded her fists, ready to release her lighting. Roy smiled and snapped his fingers, but something was wrong. He couldn't make a flame. There wasn't even a spark.

"What's going on?" he asked. Rai gave him a sly smile as she charged at him.

"My lightning attracted enough storm clouds to cause a downpour. So many clouds put together can't possibly hold all of that moisture. You don't have too many weaknesses, Mustang, but one of them is your cloth gloves. They are made out of special material so you can transmute flame with one snap. The only problem is your gloves can't produce a spark when they're wet. So, I'd hate to rain on your parade, but…"

Rai let the electricity flow through Roy's body. It shocked his entire system and caused him to collapse on the spot. He could barely move from the pain. He was completely burnt out. Rai explained what she had just done to him.

"I just sent an electric current through your body. Since your body was wet, the lightning was able to conduct better and the attack was more effective. It drained all the energy out of you, so you won't be able to move for awhile. You will live through it, but this battle is over."

"What an excellent performance, Rai," Bradley said as he entered the arena. "You have proved yourself suitable to be a State Alchemist. Congratulations. You are the winner."

"Thanks," Rai said weakly before falling to the ground. Riza quickly ran to her little sister to see if she was alright. "It looks like I just barely beat you, Roy. You were pretty hard to defeat. My electric shock was my last hope. I will be glad to serve under you." Roy smiled as Ed helped him off the field. Rai then looked at Riza with a smile. "Thanks for the help. You think you could get me to a doctor?" With those words, Rai fainted in her sister's arms. Riza smiled, happy that her sister and commander were still alive. It seemed that Rai was warming up to Riza. _Maybe things will get better,_ she thought as she carried Rai to the hospital wing.

* * *

All right, there's your fifth chapter. I'll try to update soon. Please be patient with me. Cya. 


	6. Deja Vu

**Déjà vu**

Rai immediately reported to Roy Mustang after she recovered from the fight. Both of the fighters had spent three days in the hospital. It was kind of tiring for Riza. She spent half of her waking hours with Roy and the other half with Rai. Now she was standing in an office with her superior and her sister.

"I see you're still alive and full of energy," Roy teased. "I didn't think you would make it."

"Really," Rai said. "I thought you would be six feet under by now. I'm surprised that grease-bathed hair didn't catch on fire." Roy just laughed at the insult.

"An alchemist that has comebacks. I like that. You hold your temper a lot better than Full Metal. Let's cut to the chase." Roy through a file at her and she read. "This man has shown suspicious activity with alchemy. Some people have gone missing in his area. I need you to check out what he's been up to."

"Hmm." Rai continued to read the file. "Harold O'Brien isn't a state alchemist, but he's been doing transmutations and documenting them with the State until recently. It sounds fishy. I'll check it out." Rai saluted and turned around.

"One more thing," Roy said as he handed Rai another file. "With the pocket watch to amplify our alchemy we are also given a second name. The Fuhrer has a sense of humor. I think it fits you." Rai read the paper out loud.

"The State Alchemist Rai Hawkeye is thee dubbed with the name 'Lightning Alchemist'." Rai couldn't help but smile. "I think it suits me, too. It's electrifying. Thanks, Colonel." When she left, Roy turned to his lieutenant.

"You better go with her." Riza was surprised. "Rai requested to work with you, and I know that you want to be by her side as well, so I want you to help her along." Riza nodded and left the room. Roy smiled when he realized what he had done: He made the woman he cared for happy.

* * *

"Mr. O'Brien, my name is Rai Hawkeye." Rai and Riza had just arrived at Harold O'Brien's house. Rai knocked once, but there was no answer. She decided to knock again. "I want to ask you about your research if you don't mind." Nothing. Riza grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door was unlocked to their surprise. Riza got her gun ready and motioned Rai to follow her. The house was dark. They decided to search the entire house; Riza searched upstairs while Rai went into the cellar. They found a lot of research books and transmutation circles, but no one was in the house.

Riza decided to check on Rai since she didn't come up right away. She had finished her inspections.

"All I could find were these books. He isn't anywhere. What did you…" Riza stopped at the foot of the stairs when she saw Rai's back. That didn't bother as much as what Rai was starring at. In front of Rai was Harold O'Brien, hanging from a rafter. "It looks like he's been dead for sometime. We should call Mustang." She walked next to Rai and finally noticed she was shaking. "Rai, are you alright?"

Riza walked in front of Rai to find her mouth and eyes wide open. She started mumbling to herself. "No, please. Not again. Mom, dad." Riza finally grabbed Rai and spoke.

"Rai, your not making any sense. What's wrong?" Rai got loose and started backing up into a corner. She finally sat down and started to grasp the wall in fear. She was yelling now. No, she was screaming in terror. It scared Riza to see her like this.

"Oh, God, no. Mom! Dad! NOT AGAIN!"

"Rai, snap out of it!" Riza grabbed Rai and slapped her. Rai looked up at Riza. Her eyes were full of fear. Rai grabbed her heart and started panting. Riza wondered what had happened to her. She looked like she was having a heart attack. "Rai, are you ok?" Rai didn't say anything. She just looked at the man hanging by the rope. Riza knew what she had to do.

She grabbed Rai and ran out of the house. When they got to the car, Rai had calmed down. She looked so white and tired, just like Riza was for the past two months. Riza finally turned to her sister and asked what happened in there. Rai slowly explained.

"I had a panic attack. I couldn't handle it. It's happening all over again."

"What's happening all over again?" Riza asked. Rai wasn't making any sense, but her next sentence stunned her.

"It…it was just like that day…when I found mom and dad. I couldn't…" Rai started to sob. Riza knew how she had felt. She had been the same way when she saw her parents hanging from the rafters in the barn. She had gone into shock. Rai was also traumatized by the same picture in her mind. All Riza could do was hug her sister and cry with her. This time, Rai let Riza hold her. She didn't care. Neither of them did. All they needed now was to cry and to hold each other.

* * *

Thanks for being patient with me. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have about six different stories going on right now. I'll try to update soon. Cya. 


	7. Her Reason

**Her Reason**

Roy, Ed, and Riza were all looking at the scene of the suicide. Harold O'Brien's body had been taken away for an autopsy report, but everything else had been left the same way. All the inspectors had put this case away as a suicide, but Ed didn't buy it.

"I can't see why he would through his life away like this," he said. "He was a smart guy, and he could have gotten a really good job with the State."

"Maybe the problems were building up too high," Roy stated. "He knew the State was looking for him, and he probably thought the missing people would be pinned on him. It doesn't take much to break a person."

"He was on to something," Riza said as he handed Roy the books she had found. "I've never seen anything like it. The transmutation circles looked so weird. Was he trying to do human transmutation?"

"We'll never know now," Ed said. They all turned at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Coming down was a very pale Rai. Riza immediately ran to her and caught her sister as she started to collapse.

"Rai," Riza said in a worried tone. "You shouldn't be here. You should be in bed."

"I'm fine," Rai responded. "I have to do my job."

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Roy asked. Rai just glared at him and then smiled.

"I have a job to do. I can't let a little panic attack stop me." She went to the spot where the man had been hanging from and looked around. "Is this the exact way you found it?"

"Yes, nothing has been moved except for the body. It's at forensics getting an autopsy." Rai took Roy's words to heart as she continued to look around the room. "You are wasting your time. Investigations have shown it to be a suicide."

"Are you sure?" Rai asked with a sly smile. "I beg to differ."

"Why is that?" Ed asked.

"What do you see in this room?" Rai asked.

"I see a small bar on the ceiling," Riza said.

"Anything else?" Rai asked.

"I see a rope at the spot where the man hanged himself," Roy answered. "That's it. He committed suicide. End of story."

"Not quite," Rai explained. "As you said, all you can see is a rope. There is also a bar on the ceiling that is two inches long and about nine feet from the ground. That is all there is in this room. How did he manage to tie the rope around that bar without standing on a stool or chair?" They all gasped at her question. She was right.

"Are you saying this wasn't suicide?" Roy asked.

"Yes. There is no chair tipped over. When you hang yourself, you usually need something to stand on and knock over to strangle yourself. As you can see, that is absent. There is no way he could have grabbed onto the ceiling since it is a flat surface, and it would be pretty hard to grab onto that bar. How tall was Mr. O'Brien?"

"5 foot 8 inches," Riza answered.

"I doubt a man could jump three feet and grab onto the bar with his pinky. This wasn't a suicide. This was a homicide, and I have a feeling there were others. We need to reopen the investigation. I want to head it." Rai started walking up the steps when she suddenly stopped. "I have some errands to run if you don't mind, Rai. I'll be back at the house around eight tonight." And with that, she was gone.

"Hey, I mind," Roy yelled at her.

* * *

Ed was walking in the dark, sneaking from building to building. Right behind him was Al. It was hard for them to sneak around anywhere since Al's armor kept making clinking sounds, but that wasn't they're main problem. They had a hard time keeping up with the person they were chasing, who was much faster than either of them.

"Ed, why are we chasing her?" Al asked.

"Because I have a funny feeling," Ed said. "Rai could just be covering this whole thing up with her theory."

"But her theory made a lot of sense," Al argued.

"It only makes sense if you have a culprit. She could be it." Ed and Al had just turned the corner as they caught a glimpse at the maroon cape enter a building. They looked at it for awhile, especially its title. "Why would she go into an orphanage?"

"Maybe she's doing community service?" Al asked.

"I doubt it. She's probably causing more trouble." Both boys followed her in. They were both surprised to find Rai surrounded by kids. She was just opening a bag, but Ed wouldn't let her. He dove in and tackled the bag. "Run! She's trying to kidnap you!"

"Ed, let her explain," Al said as he tried to get his brother off the bag.

"Yeah, I'd like to see her explain why she's trying to abduct these kids with…" Ed opened the bag and realized it was filled with…"Toys?"

"I thought I would cheer them up," Rai said as she grabbed the bag and started handing them out. "Don't worry. I made sure each of you would get one. Just be patient." Ed couldn't get what she was doing until a nun came up to him and explained.

"Isn't she wonderful?" the nun said. "She takes time to buy these kids toys to play with."

"How do you know she didn't steal them?" Ed asked.

"It is true," the nun said. "She is a little thief, but she does it so these kids can be happy. I know that she stole money from the State Treasury, but she did it knowing that her suffering would bring happiness to others. There is a reason why she does it."

"Why is that?" Al asked as he watched Rai hand out the toys.

"When her parents went missing, she ran around the country looking for her family. She finally wound up on the orphanage doorstep. I thought she was dead, but she wouldn't give up her life that easily. She saw how the kids lived in the orphanage. It tore her heart apart she told me once.

"She went to finish her degree in law school. Then she came back with the money she made and helped the kids get some food. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. She wanted to help, so she decided to become a thief so she could save the children and possibly get them new parents. She didn't want any of the kids to feel the loneliness and pain that she had lived through. She wanted to give them a future." Ed looked at Rai as the children tackled her. She looked so happy, but her eyes were filled with sorrow. _She must have had to go through so much,_ he thought.

* * *

When they left, Rai started to talk to Ed.

"I suppose you are going to turn me in for stealing again, aren't you?" Ed shook his head.

"You were using that money to help others when the State ignored them. They deserved to get robbed by you. Now you can help people get the justice they need." Rai smiled as he continued. "We are going to catch the guy that did this so you can ream on his ass in court. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything," Rai said.

"Don't electrify me when we corner him."

* * *

Sorry that I haven't been updating as often as I should. I am really bad about updates. The good news is I'll be able to write more soon. So keep your eyes open.

**Cathelina: **Yeah, Riza and Rai will be together, along with Roy (hint, hint). Hey I love your name. You think I could use it in a story? Let me know, alright? Cya.


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